The Texas State Board of Education has approved new public school standards that integrate biblical teachings into classroom instruction, making Christianity a central component of education for the state’s 5.5 million public school students.
Following months of heated debate, the Republican-controlled board voted 9-5 on Friday to adopt a mandatory reading list for every grade level before approving revised social studies standards for kindergarten through eighth grade. The new curriculum embeds biblical concepts and figures and is regarded as one of the most far-reaching efforts in the United States to require the teaching of Christianity in public schools. The standards, which will shape textbooks and statewide examinations, are expected to be introduced in phases beginning with elementary schools in the 2030-2031 academic year.
Supporters said the changes are intended to promote Judeo-Christian values and provide students with a stronger understanding of American history and moral principles. The curriculum includes required lessons on biblical figures such as Jesus, Abraham and Moses.
“We are bringing the Bible back into schools this week for the first time in 60 years,” State Board of Education member Brandon Hall, a Republican representing Aledo, said during a prayer session outside the hearing. Not all Republican board members supported the move. Evelyn Brooks of Frisco voted against the required reading list, arguing that it would reduce teachers’ autonomy in selecting classroom materials.
Critics, however, said the new standards present history and literature through a predominantly Christian perspective while reducing attention given to racial, cultural and religious diversity.
“Texas is telling millions of children that one religion deserves the government’s seal of approval, while everyone else is an afterthought,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “That’s government-sponsored religious favoritism – and the First Amendment strictly forbids it.”
Concerns were also raised by Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups over how their faiths are portrayed in the revised curriculum.
Last year, Donald Trump pledged to “protect prayer” in public schools. During his first term, he introduced measures that aimed to make it easier for religious organizations to access federal programs. Texas, a Republican-led state that educates roughly one in 10 public school students in the US, has often influenced education policy nationwide.
